Grantee Research Project Results
Novel Ceramic-Organic Vapor Permeation Membranes for VOC Removal
EPA Contract Number: 68D40034Title: Novel Ceramic-Organic Vapor Permeation Membranes for VOC Removal
Investigators: Higgins, Richard J.
Small Business: CeraMem Corporation
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 1994 through March 1, 1995
Project Amount: $55,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (1994) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Air Pollution , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , Air Quality and Air Toxics
Description:
Vapor permeation holds much promise for becoming a highly efficient means of preventing VOC emissions that are now generated by a variety of stationary sources, including solvent and surface coating operations, gasoline storage operations, and printing operations. A limitation of current vapor permeation (VP) process is the upper temperature limit for polymeric VP membranes, about 100-125?C. In most cases, this results in the need to employ cooling for compressed air feed and may also result in greater membrane areas than would be required for higher temperature operation. Wider application of the technology would be possible if inexpensive VP modules operable at appreciably higher temperatures were available. This proposal addresses development of such devices by use of low-cost, highly compact ceramic ultrafiltration modules as VP membrane supports in combination with a novel approach to VP membrane chemistry. In this proposal, an innovative method will be used to apply thin, defect-free vapor permeation membranes, based on silicone chemistries, to the ceramic supports. Vapor permeation membrane modules will subsequently be tested at temperatures ranging from 150?C to 300?C for removal of VOC's in synthetic gas streams at a laboratory scale. Based on the data obtained, the capital and operating costs of industrial scale systems will be estimated.Supplemental Keywords:
Vapor Permeation, VOC Removal, Ceramic/Polymer Membranes., Sustainable Industry/Business, Air, Scientific Discipline, Toxics, Chemical Engineering, Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, VOCs, cleaner production/pollution prevention, air toxics, Environmental Engineering, vapor permeation, treatment, membrane technology, ceramic membranes, polymer membranes, VOC removal, variabilityProgress and Final Reports:
SBIR Phase II:
Novel Ceramic-Organic Vapor Permeation Membranes for VOC RemovalThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.